static contraction training

[Rolling Elbow]

What do you guys know about it? What do you think of its potential for growth? (sometimes referred to as power factor training)

Who wants to try a 12 week cycle with me just to see what we think of it?

( i need another month before i can start due to my back though)

[SevenStar]

The problem I would see with this is that you would only really gain strength in the position that the contraction is being held

[Rolling Elbow]

I've been looking into the Peter Sisco Power FActor and static contraction training methodology and they have tested their ideas on beginners and seasoned trainers. (better to test on people who have already plateaued). Apparently only pumping or static contracting at the top of the lift does produce both size and strength gains over 12 weeks IF you do it correctly and IF you go heavy. When i am better, i am thinking of trying it..

all of my interest came about when a friend of mine suggested i take a heavy weight and hold it at the top range on a squat for as long as i could followed by a few pumping reps. He said he legs grew tremendously from this training. PArtial reps is really the only way to handle lots of weight. So i am thinking about giving it a try..sure i can't see how it could be better than full range of motion, but 12 weeks once or twicea year would likely be a great way to shock the body into strength and size gains no?

[Rolling Elbow]

..besides, now that i have my power rack, i am looking to use it for training. Huge legs being my goal, I'll try anything at this point!

[Mr. Bao]

If you want huge gain in mass in the lower body, ok here is my 3 cents.

1. Do lower compound movements, such as front and back squats, static and dynamic lunges, deadlifts, calves raises. Do these lifts twice a week resting four days in between your next leg workout. Do 5 to 10 sets, 5-10 reps, rest 2 mins to 5 mins between sets. If you know anything, practice your first workout without going muscular failure, but lift heavy. Your second workout try the HIT method and goes to failure.

2. Eat like a son of b%tch, forget about becoming fat. You can always slim down later. Drink whey protein, creatine, and L glumine before and after your workout.

3. Do reverse hyperextension, prone leg curls, and core training after your leg training. Try to find your weak links in your compound movements. Developing your weak links will help you lift stronger and better which means better results.

4. Do Sprints, this will develop serious leg mass plus develop fast muscle fibers in your legs. I do not know if you have many fast fiber in your lower body, but whatever you have will be develop more so by doing sprints. Learn how to do sprints and warm yourself up proper don't want to hurt yourself.

5. Increase your lower body flexibility, believe or not stretching wisely will increase your strength and prevent yourself from hurting yourself during compound movements.

These are my three cents and I hope this helps.

[Rolling Elbow]

Interesting point of view.. Here is what i am thinking of trying. I did only plan to train legs twice a week so here would be my breakdown.

squats (front and back- alternate on days)
Hack squats with barbell
lying reverse extensions for hams
standing calf raises and bentover raises (donkey)
sprinting on my bike with the gauge set on high resistance.
stretching

i wanted to try doing 1 warm up set, two regular range of motion sets, and then 2 static contraction or pumping sets with heavy weight (only pumping the weight about 4-6 inches of the racks)

I'd throw in one other day a week of chins, incline press, shoulder press. Forearms would be trained with the legs as will abs.

Eating protein will increase along with carbs.

As i am just getting off a lower back injury, i will hold off on deadlifts. (that is what threw myback) When i go back to them, i will do partial reps from the power rack.

Thoughts? Or is this over training? Its only really under 10 sets per body part.

[Mr. Bao]

Rolling Elbow

Greetings. I think you should keep it simple.

"squats (front and back- alternate on days)" good start

"Hack squats with barbell" why do this movement after front or back squats? To me this an over kill and waste of energy after your squats.

"lying reverse extensions for hams" If you mean prone leg curls good.

"standing calf raises and bentover raises (donkey)" Good.

"sprinting on my bike with the gauge set on high resistance." This actually sux. Nothing can replace the real thing such speed biking and true blue sprinting.

"stretching" not a bad idea depending on your method.

"i wanted to try doing 1 warm up set, two regular range of motion sets, and then 2 static contraction or pumping sets with heavy weight (only pumping the weight about 4-6 inches of the racks)" WHY? explain this logic to this?

"I'd throw in one other day a week of chins, incline press, shoulder press. Forearms would be trained with the legs as will abs." Cool, you should train other body parts, but if training your legs are more important focus there and build around your workouts around your leg routine. Leg work aint funny and takes guts and balls to do them.

"Eating protein will increase along with carbs." Cool.

"As i am just getting off a lower back injury, i will hold off on deadlifts. (that is what threw myback) When i go back to them, i will do partial reps from the power rack." This goes to show that you need an expert coach to teach you the proper form, load, and etc. I would really suggest getting a personal trainer, college coach, or truly experience person to teach you.

"Thoughts? Or is this over training? Its only really under 10 sets per body part." It is not overtraining if you are still gaining results and feel strong. You tried what I said about one workout non failure, second workout HIT method. Keep your workout one hour or less.

Ex: 1. Squats 2. Prone Leg Curls. 3. Calves raises. 4. reverse 5. hyperextension, 6. dr. janda sit ups.

or

Sprint, core work.

or

Barbell dynamic Lunges, Sumo Deadlifts, calves raises, good mornings, and crunches.

I hope you get the picture. I would mix up the routine so you dont get bore and keep your leg guessing? LoL.

Be well.

[Rolling Elbow]

The reason i would do both regular reps and then static training would b to fatigue the legs through full range of motion, and them bombard them with extremely heavy weight.

Now Sisco suggests that you warm up with a set of 15-20 reps and then pound them with the static sets for strenght and growth. I do not know why i doubt the effectiveness of the method but i guess trying it can't hurt. (2 sets) but the problem with home training is allot of exercises are hard to get into position on. hamstrings and calf raises with heavy weight for example.

So i wanted to combine best of both worlds. What do you think of aprtial rep training anyway?

Furthermore, i was thinking of a two day split.

Workout A occurs one time this week, 2 times next week.
Workout B occurs twice this week, once next week.

I suppose that leg training once a week might allow me to focus on the overloading and HIT every other week.

Still playing around with this as i want to work the complete body without having to split routines. I'm open to suggestions. The other exercises i have planned are:

incline press, shoulder/military press, chins, forearm curls, abs.

[Mr. Bao]

[ Rolling Elbow ]

You know how I feel about Sisco methodology and you are more than welcome to try anything. It is a free nation. i personally think it is not effective in building functional strength, but it may? be benefical toward hyperthropy. But by you combing too many things together, you will end up more confused in my opinion.

"What do you think of partial rep training anyway?" It is great for short distance power. I can see the benefit of this method in wing chun gung fu and Bruce Lee like this partial rep method. Me personal, no practical use for me. It is a popular body building method tho.

"Furthermore, i was thinking of a two day split. Workout A occurs one time this week, 2 times next week. Workout B occurs twice this week, once next week. I suppose that leg training once a week might allow me to focus on the overloading and HIT every other week."

Sounds good, but you can still do both methods by training twice a week, resting four days a part. That if you have unlimited time to train, if not then your periodization can work as well. I rather train twice a week then once a week if I was serious about gaining some results. It is not over training because you are resting fours apart from your next workout, but pls remember to work around the other workouts your leg workouts.


"Still playing around with this as i want to work the complete body without having to split routines. I'm open to suggestions. The other exercises i have planned are: incline press, shoulder/military press, chins, forearm curls, abs." I am sure you can research these movements and suggestions about upper body movement.

[Rolling Elbow]

Bao

You would therefore be advocating a twice a week full body routine with full rep range correct? can you see this occuring within 40 minutes? The intent is not to lose the intensity and have more time for other training.

[Mr. Bao]

[Rolling Elbow]


Greetings. There is a Mr. before my name, lol. I think you have to read my posts more carefully and I know there plenty of information there. I am sure you can benefit from the advice there?

You asked, "You would therefore be advocating a twice a week full body routine with full rep range correct?"

No, I never said this. However, I did mentioned training your leg twice a week resting fours days in between. And encouraged you to use max strength method and the Hit method. You first workout can be a Max strength method and the second workout can be HIT method. In regard to your other body parts, I mentioned that you should train them once per weak and save most of energy for your leg workouts because you said your legs were your primary objective. So, I suggested you work other muscles groups around your leg workouts.

"Can you see this occuring within 40 minutes? The intent is not to lose the intensity and have more time for other training."

Yes and No depending on your periodization. During your HIT leg workout yes, yes it can be done around 40 mins. But during max strength training, no. My question is why do you want to train something else along with your legs? You should at least devote two hours per week towards leg training directly or indirectly if gaining muscles on your legs is your primary concern? Combining Legs with other muscle groups may be a waste of time if leg hyperthrophy is the primary objective? If you are concern developing muscles on them legs, why waste your energy other things?

I hope this clears up some misunderstanding and I suggest going back and reread my posts, Mr. Elbow.

[Rolling Elbow]

I shall Mr. Bao thankyou!